Choosing your Storage Company

Moving from one home or office to a brand new one is one of the biggest changes in a person’s life, but sometimes you can’t take everything that you want to. This might simply be a temporary measure, you might want to do some renovations first or there’s not enough space just yet, or it could be a long term dilemma. In either case, you need a solution, and for that, there’s a simple one; rent a space, and store it!

What’s the cost?

This can vary quite widely, so be sure to iron out all the details beforehand. Certain companies will ask you to enter into a contract, while others won’t bother. This might not seem important, but often companies that offer contracts also included other benefits as well as a cheaper price.

Depending on what you’re planning on storing, there are certain additional costs that might crop up. These included access fees, insurance, or even the cost of air conditioning units if certain contents require it.

Where is it located?

This can vary depending on what you’re putting away. If you’re planning on accessing your stored contents regularly, something within 10-15 minutes of where you live or work is something you need to look for. Look for a local business, rather than a big chain as they tend to be closer to suburbs where as the chain companies try to spread out evenly across the state.

When are they open?

Many storage companies tend to stay open at all hours, however not all of them do which can be a problem you should try to avoid if you need out-of-hours access to your stored contents. Always be sure to check ahead, find their openings hours, and see if they suit you and your schedule.

Certain storage companies will allow you to access your contents out-of-hours, but you can run the risk of incurring extra fees for doing so.

What storage sizes do they offer?

The majority of storage companies offer a variety of sizes to suit your needs, from small units only meant to store a few objects, or wide and expansive ones, if you need to put away a lot of items, or just a few big ones. This is important to be aware of as you will want enough space to fit everything in without crushing it, but you’ll also not want to waste any space, as the larger the unit is, the more it costs to maintain it. The unit sizes are measured in cubic metres, so be sure to ask for the exact measurements, if however you have trouble visualising what sort of size you want, then simply ask for them to show you a few of the empty ones so you can get a better idea of what you want.

What access do they have?

Privacy can be a major concern for some people, and rightly so. For a lot of people, who store both important and sentimental items, they don’t want strangers rifling through their items, or even taking them. This is just as much of a concern for businesses who store their old files and records off-site. So, be sure to ask what kind of access they are allowed when it comes to your unit. They should only have access to your unit in case of emergencies, or if you have defaulted on your payments. In the case of the latter, the company will wait a certain amount of time before judged the unit to be abandoned and simply dispose of the contents.

If you’re looking for more information on storage options, or you want to find a storage provider in your local area, try out AussieWeb.com.au, where you can find plenty of contact details and locations.